Tea for Creatives: Chris Jasper
Meet Chris Jasper. This producer, songwriter, composer, keyboardist and vocalist was an integral part of creating The Isley Brothers sound for a decade (1973-1983). If you love the songs “Between the Sheets,” “For the Love of You” or almost any other Isley’s song during that era, then you are already a fan of Jasper.
When the Isley Brothers split in 1983, Jasper, Marvin and Ernie Isley went on to record as Isley-Jasper-Isley and garnered a string of hits including the #1 R&B smash “Caravan of Love.” When that group disbanded in 1988 Jasper went on the launch a successful solo career and has never stopped.
Jasper is currently working on his 10th solo album entitled Inspired to be released on his label Gold City Records. The first single, “Someone,” will be released in January. His son Michael is also working on a project due out later this year to be released through Gold City.
To catch up with Chris Jasper and find out where to purchase his music or where you can see him live check out www.goldcitymusic.com.
What does creativity mean to you and how has it defined your career?
It always goes back to composition for me. Creativity to me means going from nothing to a complete project. Coming up with chord progressions, melodies and lyrics of course, but just taking a blank slate and in the case of Pop and R&B music, filling that tape with music that hopefully people will enjoy. It’s about taking a project from beginning to end, not just performing the song or playing on a record. I’ve been blessed to have that kind of experience to not only play with other musicians, but also produce music from beginning to end.
How do you navigate the creative process?
Actually one step at a time really. I’m kind of doing that now with some songs because I’m finishing up a current album and I’m in the writing process of it. One way I create is through practicing. That’s how I wrote this last song I’m working on now. I was practicing and I got ideas for a chord progression. I said, hey that sounds pretty good. So I’ll work on that and come up with a melody to it, then come up with lyrics, which is another stage and take it one step at a time. The next stage will be actually putting it on to a fixed state, in this case in Pro Tools or something like that so it permanent. Then I do some of the production things like adding other instruments, that’s another stage. Then the next stage will be vocals, but it’s one stage at a time; that’s how it’s done all the way to the mastering process.
What is one of the greatest creative obstacles that you have faced and how did you hurdle it?
A big creative obstacle is that sometimes you don’t have the inspiration or something that you feel is unique. Authors call it writers block, but the way I get around it sometimes is by reviewing some of the material I’ve done already. Just trying to listen to it as a person who is hearing it for the first time. Seeing what I did. Seeing what I sang and how I sang it or played on it, maybe think about what I could have added and what could be taken away because I always do that. With everything that I’ve done I think, what could I have done different to put me on to another approach. It’s kind of the way I’ve gotten around the writer’s block.
Who is one of your favorite creative figures and how have they inspired you and your creativity?
All through my career and even before I started I recognized the things that Stevie Wonder was doing because he started when he was a kid. He was 12 or 13 or something like that and throughout his whole career…you know there was a time when Motown didn’t allow him to do certain kinds of things. They were actually unsure about a lot of artists as far as what they could do, as far as writing was concerned. He was kind of in that group at first, but then as he continued to mature he did some really innovative things and wrote some great songs, which I followed an inspired me to really concentrate on the writing side of my career. He was a big influence on me in that way; and that he played and sang. So he was one of the biggest that I followed.
Marvin Gaye was another one. One time he was in the same boat with Stevie. Motown wrote certain songs for him and they felt that he could only sing a certain way. If he was straining they felt that that was his trademark. To sound like “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” where he’s at the top of his range, and he’s really singing rough and hard. Marvin Gaye always wanted to do the softer stuff, the jazz stuff. There were other artists that influenced him like Nat King Cole and people like that. Then later on when he did “What’s Going On” it was another transition in his career, which he was singing softer and with purpose and the lyrics were about something else besides the traditional love songs. So I followed his career and that was a big influence on me too.
If you could choose one quote or life mantra what would it be?
“Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13
The author is saying, let’s hear the conclusion of the whole matter because in Ecclesiastes it says, there is a time for this and a time for that, and all is vanity. So the conclusion of the whole matter is, “Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” I think that should be a mantra for everyone because that is what life is all about; keeping God’s commandments, and revering him and keeping him in the proper perspective, which will keep you humble and keep you with the proper perspective also. I think it’s one of those things that rings true no matter who you are, where you are from and that’s how I base my life now. Realizing that God is in control and we as people should serve each other and respect each other and by doing so, we are doing God’s will. That’s how I like to live and I think it’s a good idea for everyone as well.
~Interviewed by Shelley Nicole
The Tea for Creatives series celebrates the creative minds that Possibiliteas seeks to serve with its brews. We aim to bring the creative community insightful and eye-opening profiles of the best and brightest creative professionals across various industries. Join us on Facebook and Twitter for more conversations on creativity.
Tags: Chris Jasper, composer, Creativitea, creativity, Gold City Records, Isley Brothers, Isley Jasper Isley, music, Possibiliteas, producer, R&B, songwriter, soul
